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Pooka can no longer handle his frustration towards the knight
"This is just what I would expect from a spineless knight who was probably going to desert us as soon as the fighting got thick! To scared to assault the cultists, to scared to go rescue your own comrades! You don't deserve your own banner!" Pooka hops down off of Luna, stepping closer to the curled up knight as he unleashes his anger.
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Xûll draws his cold iron hammer, but stands close by his companions, ready to tackle any of them to the ground should they try to harm one another.
"Friends, this is not to be the way of things," Xûll walks around looking for hidden foes, "Your friends are not to have been saying bad things about you, it is in your minds. It is illusion, trick. Be calming down and be warying of demons. Me is thinking they are to be nearing by."
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Just hearing Pooka rant to the unconscious crusader make Delzden suddenly turn red and turn towards the halfling. For the first time in a very very long time, maybe first time in his life, Delzden is infuriated.
"Pooka, dear, I really need to mention about that incident with the farmers. Under no circumstances, do EVER attack innocent by-standers with such force! You immediately killed one soul you were meant to save! You say one thing, but then you blow them to smithereens! Doesn't that small head of your have any thought at all?!" Delzden vents to the halfling, each line bringing him one step closer to the halfling. He makes pointing gestures with his fingers in an accusatory manner.
"You're a sorry example of a would-be knight! You disrespect authority and would rather go solo! Very honorable, yeees! It's selfish, and you're selfish for caring only about your own stance and opinion about how to deal with things! You ought to, by the standards of a knight, help and protect! You haven't helped Sir Ilivan at all, and you certainly didn't protect the farmers, you saw them nothing more obstacles on your path to 'glory'! You're just as good as those demons!"
Delzden shakes his both hands, as if trying to grasp some immaterial object inside his fists, and the clasps the shut tightly, giving the impression of squeezing the brains out of Pooka's tiny head.
Now the pollen is so thick that it looks like a foggy lake in the early morning.
Overcome with pollen, the Pathfinder once again struggle to maintain a grip on their reality.
Awesome sauce!!! Delzden = 1; Pooka = 2
Delzden, living the life of passivity, now feels all those years of surpressing his emotions bubble to the surface.
On the third round, anyone affected must attempt one more Will save at the same DC, whereupon the GM selects one affected creature that failed this save to enter a murderous rage at the beginning of the fourth round. This rage is identical to the “attack nearest creature” effect of the confusion spell.
Delzden locks eyes with Pooka's trusty mount. He advances and viciously attacks her.
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Xûll draws his cold iron hammer, but stands close by his companions, ready to tackle any of them to the ground should they try to harm one another.
Xûll manfully tackles Delzden and tries to reign in his homicidal tendencies.
"Be calming down and stopping, friend-Delzden," Xûll says while straining to hold the big lug, having only barely caught him.
I didn't explicitly say "readied action", but it would be cool if I could get a CMB on Delzden before he attacks Luna.Xûll draws his cold iron hammer, but stands close by his companions, ready to tackle any of them to the ground should they try to harm one another.
Xull drops his hammer freeing both hands, and jumps on Delzden. In his state of anger, Delzden has eyes only for the dog, but out of the corner of his eye, sees Xull charging for him.
Delzden misses Xull by a hair. The large Shoanti ducks under and grabs him around the waist. Struggling, Delzden swings at Luna but she is out of his reach.
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Shaking his head to clear the remaining irritation there, Arthrax is surprised to see Delzden swing at the dog, connecting, before then swinging at Xull as the bloodrager tries to tackle him. Confused, but guided by the Xull's non-lethal tactics, the big man attempts to help Xull incapacitate Delzden.
Multiple creatures can attempt to grapple one target. The creature that first initiates the grapple is the only one that makes a check, with a +2 bonus for each creature that assists in the grapple (using the Aid Another action). Multiple creatures can also assist another creature in breaking free from a grapple, with each creature that assists (using the Aid Another action) granting a +2 bonus on the grappled creature's combat maneuver check. - So Xull is correct.
Also, to maintain your grapple, make another grapple check at +5 since Delzden did not break free.
Then you can Move, Damage, Pin, or Tie Up
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"Be grabbing his legs!" Xûll tells Arthrax.
Xûll then pulls the struggling Delzden further along the path, praying to Desna that he'll see the end of the mists and to Nethys to grant him the understanding required to end his friend's condition.
"Pooka, see if you can be putting Sir Ilivan back on horsie and be helping him out of mists also," Xûll suggests.
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Pooka yanks on Luna's reins just in time to pull her back, out of reach of the angry Delzden
The pollen swirls, and Pooka can feel his veins pulse with anger that clouds his vision. Though the barding covers her, Pooka can tell that Luna's hackles are up, her muscles tense as she grows and barks.
What is wrong? This... is not right... It must be that coward's fault!
Pooka hears Xull's voice cut through the curtain of rage in his mind. Somehow, he connects to two sides into a form of action. Stomping over to the curled up man, he grabs a rope from the saddle and ties it around both Sir Ilivan and the horn on Hannah's saddle.
"C'mon girl, lets get out of here."
Arthrax continues to assist Xull grappling Delzden.
Delzden, mad as hell, tries to break the grip of the men that are grappling him.
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This anger, why does it feel this good to be this mad? Something is... Wrong...
"time to get out of here coward, we can argue about this after we are done killing demons."
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Arthrax helps Xull restrain the normally jovial Delzden, avoiding the other man's blows as best he can as he helps get him into a disadvantageous position that would allow Xull to completely overwhelm him on his own.
Once that is done, the burly warrior goes to help Pooka with Sir Ilivan, doing what is needed to help get those that are refusing out of the terrible pollen.
As quickly as it came, the pollen flies forth leaving the Pathfinders looking around, and very uncomfortable. Xull and Arthrax can hear Delzden from underneath the pile, "Boys .... ugh .... think .... you .... can ... get...OFF!"
The Pathfinders release their comrades, brush themselves off, and some stray pollen, and glance at each other uncomfortably. It is a moment before they realize that Sir Ilivan continues to lie on the ground next to his horse.
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"It is good to be seeing you back to yourselfs, Delzden-of-Quaint-Small-Town-of-Roudenbrash. However, what is being wrong with Sir Ilivan?" Xûll asks, genuinely concerned, "He was not being affected by pollens?"
Xûll tries to figure out if it's an enchantment or some kind of psychological trauma.
"Okay, we are to be loading him on horse, then. Make sure to be tying off well so he is not slippings," Xûll suggests, hoisting the captain manfully onto the horse.
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Delzden coughs a few times before getting up. "Boy, that was something, huh? Guess I got my blood boiling, he!"
He doesn't seem to be distraught by the incident, and instead concentrates on the next task at hand. Delzden goes over to Sir Ilivan and begins to aid Xûll, the master surgeon, at his task. "If you'd ask me it seems he is allergic to the pollen of demonic wasteland, and has suffered an anaphylaxic reaction and is on his way to asphyxia."
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The cloud of anger in Pooka's brain seems to clear, and he looks around at the others, including the curled up knight.
"I'm... Sorry. I don't know what came over me. This isn't who I really am..." He looks around, ashamed for his actions.
Unable to help with the knight, he instead goes over to Hannah, to make sure she stays calm, and is ok.
Xull walks over to the crusader, and quickly examines him. Thankfully, he is not as bad off as Delzden had suggested. A few sips of a potent spirits that Xull had carried for just such and occasion, and Sir Ilivan sits up. He quickly straightens himself and shakily tries to mount his mare, Hannah, slipping in his stirrup on the first try and nearly falling back on the ground.
Pooka, holding Hannah's reins for him, tries to assist him in the saddle. Sir Ilivan waves off any attempts to help him. The Pathfinders can hear him, incoherently mumbling, "I'm fine. Nothing wrong here. Why do they insist upon helping me like a crippled grandfather?".
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Xûll mounts up and rides along next to Sir Ilivan, breaking with their regular file. He rides a while, observing only. Eventually, he sparks up a conversation.
"Sir Ilivan, I am hoping you are to be feeling better," he begins, "Perhaps it would be helping if you were to be taking minds off things? I am hearing from my mentor, Uncle Guaril, that you are to be having several... useful... contacts in Mendev. He is wishing for to be doing trading of informations - secrets - about those who are trying to be doing him harm. He is saying that you are perhaps being able to help. What say you?"
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The warrior shakes his head as everything seems to return to normal, including Sir Ilivan. He gives Pooka a friendly pat on the shoulder. "No worries. It seemed all of us were a bit excitable there for a bit."
As Xull wanders up, Arthrax gladly retreats to take the bloodrager's spot in the formation, happy to be away from Ilivan's side.
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Delzden is slightly taken aback how calmly everyone takes the aftermath, especially Xûll. Delzden is feeling somewhat sheepish about his previous behaviour, calling the Shoanti an illiterate and all that. He's not used to venting out, and begins to contemplate his manners closely.
"Before we continue further, I need to apologize to you all formally. What I said was a result of an external force taking over my mind and emotions. I assure you all the effects no longer affect me, and such outbursts are in the past. In case you," he says, eyeing Xûll, "have been offended by my remarks, take it up with me to see we reach a mutual conclusion and can continue as partners and colleagues."
Delzden breaks out a wide smile and claps his hands once. "So, let's get moving, those demons won't kill themselves, he! Or, well, actually, they do! He!"
Being at the back of the patrol, Delzden steers his mount closer to Xûll in order to speak with him outside of others' earshot. "Sir Ilivan has been acting strange ever since we departed from Nerosyan. I'm beginning to think he is an impostor. He has been trying to avoid all combat altogether, I'm beginning to doubt he really is combat-capable."
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"Worry not, Delzden-of-Quaint-Small-Town-of-Roudenbrash," Xûll says cheerfully, "Me is to be knowing magical effects when me is to be seeing them. It is water under the bridges.
"As for Sir Ilivan, me is not being so sures that he is imposter," Xûll joins in with a whisper, "But me is indeed certain he is not being combat-capable. We are needing to be taking cares."
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Pooka clears his throat after Delzden's speech.
"I too, must apologize. I fear not all of my anger was caused by the pollen, and that it only enhanced what I had already felt. I feel ashamed for how I let it carry me, most of all towards you, Sir Ilivan. Please accept my apology."
Pooka nods his head, and then takes his place at the flank of the group.
I hope we can get this overwith soon. While I do feel bad for my outbursts, I still do not trust Sir Ilivan. I do not want to see any of my friends put in danger because of his incompetence.
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Arthrax gives Delzden a curt nod, such as a comrade would do when another does something which requires no apology.
Attempting a bit of reconciliation, he rides a bit closer to Xull and Sir Ilivan. "Well at least we made it through that relatively unscathed, eh? That's two encounters now. One more and we'll be seasoned veterans, right?"
Upon hearing Pooka kind words, Sir Ilivan face begins to soften. He reins in Hannah, and motions the others to come a bit closer.
"You see I have been put here a long time, not in terms of my life span mind you, but war is a terrible b$&#*. And I have been out here more than most. Like I said before, I have seen things. Things I cannot unsee. It was during the Fourth Mendevian Crusade. I was leading a platoon. We were hard marching to an outpost, sent to relieve men who needed to pull back some. Well I was foolish, thought speed would take care of avoiding the demons. Should have sent out short scouting parties, like we are now. But men are tired, and men grumble and complain, and you get weary. It becomes so hard. Well a shadow demon got me. Took over my mind. And well ...." Sir Ilivan hesitates, begins again in a cracking voice, "That evil bastard ... made me... killed two .... of the finest, bravest .... damn demons" He ends in a shout. He buries his head in his hands for a moment, and the Pathfinders can hear him talking softly. They easily overhear the word Iomedae
Looking up, "Would have killed all of them had not a few quicker witted soldiers not restrained me. Worst day of my life. I see it, every now and again, when I lay down at night. The still of the night, just you and your thoughts. Sometimes you can't control those thoughts, and that memory bubbles up. They said to let it go. I worked with the clerics of Iomedae. They helped me a lot, said the normal, 'Not your fault' 'Nothing you can do' 'Best way to heal is to avenge them'. Pah." He spits on the ground. "When they lay down at night, they don't see those boys' faces. Good boys, destined to die, trying to be a heroes. But it was me who did it. They looked up to me, respected me, followed me. And I killed them."
He shakes his head. "May Iomedae have mercy on my soul. Come, let us get out of this cursed place. I may have treated you all unfairly, but I was only trying to protect you all, save your lives. Come."
He spurs Hannah, and begins to ride off again.
After a few minutes of riding, the Pathfinders can see a swarm of angry looking hornets. They quickly pull their Alchemist's Fire, and Arthrax begins to put on his swarm suit, ready for them to do their worst, but Sir Ilivan puts a restraining hand on his arm. "Watch, they picked up a scent. Not gonna bother us." Just as the crusader finishes his sentence, the swarm moves off in a different direction, speeding up as if they have spotted their quarry.
Sir Ilivan once again calls a halt. HE motions the group closer, "You know being out here with you all, seeing my shortcomings in the face of your bravery, well I realizes that the war has changed me. Irrevocably. I am no longer qualified to make command decisions. Should have helped you back at Bedis. Shouldn't have stood in your way leaving the Fort either. Been thinking this whole time, and add my episode back there, gonna resigning at the end of this. Here on out, I vow, as Iomedae is my witness, to help you as best I can in the meantime. Let's get those men and get out of here."
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Xûll looks long and hard at Sir Ilivan. "Iomedae says 'not your fault' and they are speaking truth. They are saying 'best way to heal is to avenge them' and they are speaking truth. But me is knowing that there is to be only one way to remove visions of horrors from mind. Say word, and they will be gone."
The big Shoanti draws out his extremely well crafted nodachi - a gift from a trading partner to honor Xûll's deft diplomatic skills - and holds it at Ilivan's neck height. Xûll's face is emotionless and none are sure if he is serious or not - save for Pooka, who knows what the man is capable of.
When Ilivan does not request a quick death, Xûll sheaths his blade, "Then best be getting over images in head and making use of life you wish to cling to."
"It is good you are to be coming to senses. Let us be off and saving of men... or most like, avenging."
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Delzden is surprised the hardened shell around Sir Ilivan cracks and withers away, revealing his cruel, albeit predictable past of great misfortune. He listens to the crusader's tale with thought.
"That is tragic, let's be clear on that," Delzden begins, smiling nervously, "but as many studies have shown, hiding in sorrow has never yielded results in healing, only exposing yourselves to the same will eventually heal the wounds. So, in essence, 'best way to heal is to avenge them', rings truth."
Xûll's gesture makes Delzden wary, and he takes a quick glane at the shoanti man. When the moment passes, Delzden feels even more puzzled by Xûll's strange antics.
----
"Then let's make your last assault a good one, he!" Delzden says with renewed joy, "are we expecting close combat or a volley of arrows? I'd really prefer to get close this time, all I've been doing this trip is shoot two arrows, smack a vermlek, and fire insults at my comrades. Truly a story worth of a chronicle, he!"
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Pooka stares at the knight and Shoanti unflinchingly during the exchange. He does indeed know what the bloodrager is capable of, and wonders for a moment if Ilivan will take him up on the offer.
"Sir Ilivan, I am sorry for the trials you have gone through. The one thing you seem to miss is that while killing demons and saving lives will help, the only thing that can truly set you free is forgiveness. You have been offered this by the men in your company, yet you refuse to accept it."
Pooka stares at the knight hard as they begin to move out. "You refuse to accept it because you refuse to forgive yourself. None of us here can make you do it. Killing demons and rescuing these men will not be the magic potion to make it so. But I tell you with all confidence, that when you make that step, only then will you begin to heal."
"For what it is worth, I forgive you for your actions earlier, and I would ask that you forgive me for mine. I look forward to slaying a few more demons beside you in battle."
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Arthrax listens to Sir Ilivan's words quietly, his brown eyes fixed on the older man as he tells his story. As he finishes and the others add their thoughts, Arthrax merely pats the man's shoulder gently a few times, giving him a respectful nod before putting some distance between them, in case Sir Ilivan needed a few moments to himself.
Looking at Xull, coldness in his eyes, "Today is not the day I die Xull. Please sheathe your nodachi. Delzden, honestly count yourself lucky if that is the only action we see. I would love nothing more than grab those boys and get out of there. Pooka, apology accepted, and I hope that you accept mine." He extends a hand.
Sir Ilivan, eyes on the path ahead, signals to the Pathfinders that they approach their quarry.
A dry, narrow gulch follows a dried-up creek bed appears to have been the site of numerous battles. Rusted weapons, broken arrows, and the occasional skull are strewn about the landscape. The walls of the gulch narrow, creating a natural choke point, rise 8 feet up on either side.
The Pathfinders see one larger demon advancing towards them, a huddled group of Mendevian soldiers clapped in manacles , and a large misshaped demon standing over them .
The large demon, named Savash, is a towering bull shaped man beast. As he walks, bits of drool fall from his mouth only to spit and hiss as they burn into the rock as a boiling miasma of smoke swirls about his head. The pathfinders can see his hoof prints burned in the rock behind him. He issues forth a bellowing challenge to the Pathfinders.
Behind him are the captives, looking worse for wear. The dretch, standing about shoulder height, holds a sword poised above a crusader’s head readying a killing blow. That leaves little doubt as to its intentions.
Sir Ilivan turns to the Pathfinders. ”Time to slay the demons and rescue those men.” Before he has a chance to spur Hannah into action, Pooka turns to him, pointing at a dust cloud approaching from the north. They can all spot discernible figures in the cloud—a gang of oncoming demons.
Once again addressing the Pathfinder, in a clear, commanding voice that they haven’t heard since before they left on this patrol, ”Men, kill that brimorak, and rescue those men. No matter what, rescue those men. I know we have had our differences, and you are not likely to give much credence to my orders, but . I will hold off the reinforcements as long as I can. Once you have those men, ride for all your worth back to Nerosyan. No matter what, save them.”
He kicks into Hannah, and is gone in a flash. The sun glinting off his armor, not quite polished to a parade shine, lance steady in his grip, he levels it at the nearest demon. Leaning forward slightly to put more weight into his thrust, his lance tip connects with the demon’s breast. For a moment opposite momentums cancel out and they can see the tip of the lance poised on the demon’s breast. A fraction of a second later, the lance tips pierces his breast and emerges from its back. Barely slowing, Sir Ilivan tips his lance pommel up to let the dead demon slide off as he wheels Hannah around to find another demon to skewer.
The Pathfinders now find themselves alone with the demons and crusaders, with the brimorak advancing towards them.
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Delzden looks wary, analyzing the situation. He jumps off of his horse and pats it to turn around and stay, and walks a bit closer, taking his meteor hammer to his hands.
"Oh boy, this is gonna be it, right? Hopefully Sir Ilivan won't face a hero's death just yet. We better quick with these, right?" Delzden says with a confident smile, sure of especially Pooka's ability to rush in an destroy practically anything.
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Xûll spurs his horse forwards, knowing it won't be any good in combat and draws his horse forwards while pulling out his cold iron hammer before dismounting and readying himself to face whatever may come.
"Me has left you lane for charging," he informs Pooka, "And one way or others, Sir Ilivan is already 'right'. Me is impressed with both bravery and skill he is to be showing. Me is thinking he will be dying warrior's death. Can anyone be hoping for more?"
Savash advances towards his nearest opponent, Xull. Inhaling deeply, Xull can see him smile as he opens his mouth and exhales. A streaming, boiling line of blood issues forth and hits Xull squarely in the chest.
Seeing the Shoanti covered in hot blood, burning, makes Savash laugh. The Pathfinders can hear it echo off the gulch's walls.